mfain
Well-known member
The following was posted on another site by the RideTech guys when someone asked if their rear crossmember raised the diff. Thought some of you might find it interesting.
1) Does the new rear crossmember raise the differential for improved toe control?
As per the "Vette Improvement Program" articles written around 1985 and the "Chevrolet Power" book written in 1984 the desired changes at that time were to raise the rear differential and lower the strut rod mounts at the diff.
When we designed this kit we had the luxury of 30-odd years of others playing with this suspension, so our first item of business was to read as much as we could.
Though we used the VIP and the Power Manual as a starting point we further altered a few things to get the most out of the geometry.
We did raise the diff slightly (though raising it too much becomes an issue on the early cars as the rear u-joints want to hit the body), and lower the strut rods.
Basically what you are trying to do is get the axles and strut rods in the right place to achieve the desired toe and camber gain changes and roll center at the desired ride height.
So, to answer and further elaborate on your question, yes we did change things to achieve the desired toe, camber and roll center. We also use heims on the strut rods which allows us to eliminate the eccentric bolt and still change static camber with all parts on the car.
2) Can the front steering arms accommodate more conventional balljoints?
The steering arms have a taper machined into them (just like the OE units). We use a tapered adapter to mount the heim end. However, you need to be careful, if you move the location much it will have a dramatic effect on the steering geometry; and it may cause interference with the rim.
Why would you want to change it?
__________________
Director of Engineering
Ridetech
www.ridetech.com
1) Does the new rear crossmember raise the differential for improved toe control?
As per the "Vette Improvement Program" articles written around 1985 and the "Chevrolet Power" book written in 1984 the desired changes at that time were to raise the rear differential and lower the strut rod mounts at the diff.
When we designed this kit we had the luxury of 30-odd years of others playing with this suspension, so our first item of business was to read as much as we could.
Though we used the VIP and the Power Manual as a starting point we further altered a few things to get the most out of the geometry.
We did raise the diff slightly (though raising it too much becomes an issue on the early cars as the rear u-joints want to hit the body), and lower the strut rods.
Basically what you are trying to do is get the axles and strut rods in the right place to achieve the desired toe and camber gain changes and roll center at the desired ride height.
So, to answer and further elaborate on your question, yes we did change things to achieve the desired toe, camber and roll center. We also use heims on the strut rods which allows us to eliminate the eccentric bolt and still change static camber with all parts on the car.
2) Can the front steering arms accommodate more conventional balljoints?
The steering arms have a taper machined into them (just like the OE units). We use a tapered adapter to mount the heim end. However, you need to be careful, if you move the location much it will have a dramatic effect on the steering geometry; and it may cause interference with the rim.
Why would you want to change it?
__________________
Director of Engineering
Ridetech
www.ridetech.com
